Thunder & Lightning
by Embershadow
Summary: Taking place after The First Battle. Thunder/Lightning Tail. (I'm in a hurry so I can't do a full summary) Do not read if you're homophobic. Do not read if you don't want spoilers for The First Battle. Also, I have given up on my other stories but I will try to post more frequently.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Rain. There was nothing but rain. Maybe their ancestors had sent it to wash the blood away. But Lightning Tail didn't care.  
The black tom stood over his mother's body as he felt a cold lump form in his stomach. She was dead. Slaughtered in the midst of battle. He felt his own body begin to tremble. _Dead._ He didn't like the sound of that word, but it would not stop echoing in his mind. She was dead. Hawk Swoop was actually dead.

He closed his eyes. _One of many deaths from this battle,_ he thought tartly. He felt his lips draw back in a snarl. Clear Sky. Why did that mangy fleapelt have to ruin everything? Gray Wing may have forgiven Clear Sky, but Lightning Tail did not. He could never forgive the murderous cat who killed his mother. Never.

Suddenly, he felt another pelt brush pelt brush against him. He glanced up to see a familiar ginger tom at his side - Thunder.  
"Hey, I wanted to check to see how you're doing," Thunder mewed softly. "Are you going to be okay?"

Lightning Tail frowned and pressed close to his friend. "I don't know, Thunder," he whispered, hurt weighing heavily on his voice. "I miss her already."

Sympathy shone in Thunder's gleaming amber eyes. Lightning Tail could tell that Thunder missed her too. She had raised him as her own, despite his father casting him away.

"Hawk Swoop was a great cat," Thunder mewed. "She loved many cats, and many cats loved her in return. It's a shame her life had to end like this. It's not fair at all."

Lightning Tail sniffed and rested his head on Thunder's broad shoulder. "I wish this battle had never happened."

Thunder and Lightning Tail gazed into each other's eyes for several heartbeats. Lightning Tail was lucky to have a friend like Thunder. Thunder was always there for him, and he always wanted to be there for Thunder. Thunder was like a brother, but more.

Emotion stirred in Lightning Tail's chest. Grief, sorrow, pain, hurt... But there was something else. Love. A deep, true, burning love. He wasn't sure why it was love, but it was there. Who was his love for? His mother was gone, and so were many of his other friends...

"Come on, Lightning Tail. We should go back to camp." Thunder's mew pulled Lightning Tail away from his thoughts.

Lightning Tail nodded, swallowing a lump of unease in his throat. "Okay."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The next morning, Thunder lay awake in his nest. Sun was filtering through the camp, but Thunder didn't want to move. He didn't want to be awake. A veil of darkness impenetrable by even the brightest ray of light lay heavy over his soul. He honestly didn't know what to think anymore.

Questions kept swarming through his head. Who were the allies? Who were the enemies? Could he trust anyone anymore? And what about Clear Sky?

All of these thoughts made him feel sick. But he was certain of one thing - this feud over borders was not worth the bloodshed. Did territory matter so much that it meant war?

He could still hear the words of the spirit cats lingering in the back of his mind. _Unite or die._ What did it mean?

Before he could go any deeper into his own thoughts, he heard pawsteps next to him. He opened his eyes.

"Sorry if I woke you..."

Lightning Tail.

"No, it's fine," Thunder grumbled, dragging himself to his paw. "I'd already been awake."

"O-okay, I was, er, just wondering if you wanted to share the rabbit I caught this morning…" the black tom said, slightly sheepishly.

Thunder looked down at Lightning Tail's paws. Right between them was a nice, plump rabbit, just for them to eat. That was when he noticed the nagging hunger clawing at his gut. "Sure," he replied. "And good catch, by the way."

"Thanks," Lightning Tail murmured.

The two of them sat right outside of camp and shared Lightning Tail's catch. Thunder had always enjoyed Lightning Tail's company, especially in dark times like this.

After they both ate their share, Thunder looked into Lightning Tail's bright eyes. "I am lucky to have you as my friend," he mewed. "I don't think I've ever told you that. But I am happy to know you."

Lightning Tail lifted his chin and met Thunder's gaze. "I'm lucky to have you, too. We'll have each other no matter what. Always." (when my friend read this aloud, she accidentally said something like "we'll ship each other no matter what" XDXDXD)

That word repeated in Thunder's mind. _Always._

Silence hung between them for a few heartbeats. Then Lightning Tail stood. "Wanna go hunting?" he asked. "The rest of our group is probably either injured or still mourning. We should try to catch them something to eat."

Thunder nodded. "Sure, hunting sounds fine," he replied, standing up.

Lightning Tail gave Thunder a forced half-smile. "Come on," he mewed. "Let's go farther away from camp. We don't want to disturb anyone."

Thunder absently murmured in agreement and followed Thunder deeper into the moor. Then Lightning Tail stopped. "I smell rabbit."

Thunder looked around until he spotted a little brown shape moving in the distance. "I'll go from the right, you go from the left. Got it?"

"Got it," the black tom replied. The two of them waited for the rabbit to get closer until… "Now!" Lightning Tail hissed, lunging to the right.

Thunder bolted the other way.

For a moment, the rabbit froze in shock, cornered by the two cats coming at it, but then it tried to regain its composure. It tried to pelt away from them, but it was too late. Thunder and Lightning Tail were coming from both sides. Thunder slammed his paw into the rabbit's flank and knocked it over, and Lightning Tail gave the final killing blow. The rabbit fell dead between them.

"Good catch," Thunder panted, eyeing the catch.

"Couldn't have done it without you," Lightning Tail breathed back.

The two friends brought the prey back to camp and gave it to Wind Runner.

Thunder liked spending time with his friend. He couldn't explain it, but he always felt safe when Lightning Tail was near. But a word the black tom had said still echoed in his mind – _always._


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Well, sorry if this whole thing seems a bit rushy. Ugh, this is not a very good fanfic. I have no idea why my friend cried after reading it. But yay! An author's note! Hello, readers ^^

Also, I have given up on my other fanfics. I don't think they were going anywhere. I apologize for that. But I'll try to be a bit more active on here.

Chapter 3

That evening, Lightning Tail and Thunder went for a walk together. In the misty twilight, the two toms trekked along the moor. Lightning Tail didn't know why, but he found himself walking close to Thunder – closer than usual, that is.

The moonlight covered Thunder's bold ginger fur in a radiant glow. His amber eyes shone with starlight.

"So, how've you been feeling?" Thunder asked.

Lightning Tail still felt the weight of losing his mother weigh heavy on his shoulders. But he didn't want to admit it. "I'm okay, I guess."

Thunder didn't look convinced, but he said nothing on the subject.

Just then, Lightning Tail noticed it was starting to get windy. Then he felt a droplet of water fall on his nose. "Guess it's starting to rain," he mewed.

Thunder stiffened. He tasted the air. "It smells like a storm."

Just after the ginger tom had spoken, lightning split the sky. The rain began to fall harder. The wind picked up, blowing hard in Lightning Tail's face.

Thunder's eyes widened. He pressed close to Lightning Tail and yelled over the wind, "We need to make sure our camp is safe!"

Lightning Tail yelled back, "What about River Ripple? The river could flood!"

The rain was pouring even harder. Lightning Tail's soaking wet pelt was plastered to his body. A roar of thunder sounded from the dark sky. Thunder's outline was scarcely visable. "I'll find River Ripple, then," he decided. "You go make sure everyone in camp is safe. Okay?"

"Okay," Lightning Tail mewed back.

Lightning Tail burst into camp. "Is everyone alright?" he yowled over the wind.

"Yes, we've got all the kits hidden in a tunnel." Gray Wing seemed to instantly recognize the black tom. Then he tilted his head to one side. "Where's Thunder?"

"He's looking for River Ripple," Lightning Tail replied. Then he froze in his tracks. "I have to go make sure he's alright!" he gasped. "Stay safe, Gray Wing."

Gray Wing dipped his head. "I will. Good luck." There was a trace of grimness in his tone.

Searching frantically for Thunder, Lightning Tail broke into a sprint. Another crash of thunder crashed above. The rain was pouring hard. The sky was nearly black.

By time he approached the river, Thunder was nowhere to be seen. Lightning Tail felt his heart pounding in his chest. Where was Thunder? He squinted his eyes, scanning the landscape before him. He saw a familiar ginger pelt. Thunder was scrabbling helplessly above the swollen river. River Ripple was nowhere to be seen.

Lightning Tail squared his shoulders. He knew what he had to do.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Thunder dug his claws into the river bank. He kept desperately scrabbling, but it seemed useless. "Help!" he screeched. His neck was already underwater. The water felt like a sheet of ice over his pelt. He felt helpless. _I'm going to die. I'm going to drown in the river and die,_ he thought.

Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of black fur. It was coming towards him. A black cat. Thunder couldn't believe it. It was Lightning Tail!

His friend was streaking forward, too fast for Thunder to keep track of. Then time slowed down.

He felt teeth sink into his scruff. And he felt his body land heavily on solid ground. He looked up into Lightning Tail's eyes. "You saved me," he breathed.

Lightning Tail lowered his head. "Are you hurt?" he asked urgently.

Thunder shook his head. "No. Just wet and cold," he replied.

Pain shone in Lightning Tail's eyes. "I almost lost you," he whispered. "You could've died, and it would have been all my fault.

Thunder rubbed his muzzle against Lightning Tail's. "But we're both safe now. That's all that matters."

Another bolt of lightning split the sky. The sky was now black. No sun could shine through the thick clouds of the storm. A wave of water was crashing towards them from the river.

"Thunder!" Lightning Tail yowled, pushing the ginger tom aside. There was no stopping it now. Thunder was speechless as he watched his best friend being dragged into the river. He couldn't do anything to stop it.

Thunder lost sight of Lightning Tail for a moment. After a few heartbeats, a black head popped out of the water near the river bank.

"Lightning Tail!" Thunder screeched. He ran over to his friend and reached a paw out.

The black tom flailed his paws around desperately. His head was barely above water. More and more currents splashed around him.

"Take my paw!" Thunder yowled as loud as he could.

Lightning Tail met Thunder's amber gaze. "No."

Thunder froze, eyes wide with bewilderment. "What do you mean?" he demanded. "Come on!"

"I don't want to lose you. If it's a choice between your life and mine, I'd much rather be the one who dies. Besides, Gray Wing needs you. You have a whole life ahead of you. Just leave me here. Please."

"I can't just leave you, Lightning Tail!"

Lightning Tail struggled to keep his head up. "Thunder, you're more than a best friend. I'm not afraid of death."

"Don't say that! You won't die!" He let out a small whimper. "I'll die for you."

"No, Thunder. I won't let you die for me. That's why I'm letting go. Have a great life. I know you'll be amazing. And I'll get to be with Hawk Swoop."

"You can't!" Thunder cried.

"I love you, Thunder. And I'm not afraid to say it. I _love _you. I will wait for you in the stars, no matter how long. We will be together again someday."

"But… But you said always," Thunder mewed softly.

Lightning Tail blinked. "Why would death have to stop our always?"

Before Thunder could protest, Lightning Tail closed his eyes and stopped swimming. The black tom let his whole body fall limp. He was soon enveloped by the water. He was gone.

"No!" Thunder screamed in anguish. He felt a crushing pain fall over him. "I love you, too," he whispered.

* * *

AN:

Hi there. Sorry 'bout that. I was a bit lazy about posting this, and I am sorry for that. Also... heh. Yeah. I am a horrible person. Keep in mind that I just killed half of my OTP. WHY DID I DO THAT. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME. One of the people I know in real life read this, and when she handed the notebook back to me, she literally said "You are a horrible person." Sadly, I just grinned and said, "Yes I am." So... Yeah. I'm so sorry that it's so poorly-written. I wrote most of it at school and it was basically me pushing through the author's block. But, yeah, I hope you all liked it. Feel freeeeee to leave a review on what you thought of it.

Also, I wrote an epilogue, in which I hope to post soon, but again, it's not very good. NONE OF THIS FANFICTION IS VERY GOOD. I HATE MYSELF FOR BEING SUCH A CRUMBY WRITER. Sorry, there I go off self-criticizing again. Oops.

Anyhoo, I hope you like it and ship it. Have a fabulous day, beautiful internet people.

~Embershadow


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